SUKMA: The Deal With the Devil

Jin Submission Mbah Kasiman

Just now Mr. Risman recovered, the disease was precisely recurrent when night would come. At first the man was eager to go trading again, but his intention was canceled because he felt aches all over the body. According to the diagnosis of the doctor who treated him the other day, Mr. Risman suffered a wound in his body, more precisely in the lungs. But when re-checked, apparently there was no injury at all to the man's lungs.

Late at night, Mr. Risman's body was so limp and unable to move. Occasionally he coughed, even removing a little mucus mixed with blood. Ms. Inah advised her husband to return to the hospital. Let himself be with his two daughters who carry Mr. Risman.

Hearing Bu Inah's panicked voice, Atikah and Sukma approached her parents' second room. Atikah rushed to see the condition of the father who was helpless. As for Sukma standing glued to the doorway, surprised instead of playing when he saw a terrible figure was overlapping the body of Mr. Risman while stirring the inside of the body of the father. The tall, thin, straight-haired creature had long fingers with sharp nails. Behind his long hair, his face looks unnatural and his teeth pointed.

When the strange creature was about to take a small part of Mr. Risman's body, Sukma quickly dragged him out of the room. Sontak, Bu Inah and Atikah were surprised to see the strange attitude of the youngest. Meanwhile, Mr. Risman who was originally coughing, finally stopped. Instantly, his body felt lighter and refreshed.

Realizing that Mr. Risman looks better than before, Atikah assumes that the disease suffered by the father is not a medical illness. For a moment, he looked at Sukma who was walking with his hands behind his back, like he was dragging something. Atikah nodded slowly and thought that her conjecture was correct. Soon he returned to his mother who was helping his father to sit down.

"Sir, Mum. It seems that the illness suffered by the Father is not an ordinary disease. Do you remember what happened in Indramayu?" cetus Atikah with serious look.

Ms. Inah paused for a moment, then nodded. "You mean, did someone insult you?"

"It seems so, Mom. We, right, do not know there will be envy or unwillingness as the business of Mr. Pecel lele sales," said Atikah.

"Atikah, each person's sustenance has its own measure. Do not be prejudiced first," said Mr. Risman with a slow tempo.

"Mother, don't be so naive either." Ms. Inah interrupted. "We are always prejudiced with the same sustenance that God loves, but not everyone can like us. If everyone thinks like you, maybe there will be no one like Bu Lastri, who dared to turn off the business of Pak Haji Gufron. You still remember, right, the same little bundle that Dedek met when he first contracted."

"True, Mother, sir. Because not everyone can freely receive the sustenance that God loves" said Atikah.

"Sir, I became suspicious of people who have angkringan pecel lele across the street" said Bu Inah.

"Hus! This mother can't suuzon. Besides, if that person did the same heinous act, Mr. I'm sorry," Mr. Risman warned.

"Ih, this father is really naive. If Mom becomes Father, it's over that people are beaten with Mom," grumbled Bu Inah angrily.

"Easy, Mom. You do not remember, yes, the events of the time in Indramayu first? We can't do anything against people who like to use black magic" said Mr. Risman.

Suddenly Bu Inah remembered Sukma who went out. He told Atikah to follow his sister to make sure that Sukma did not make trouble outside. Ms. Inah was also worried that the youngest would be unconscious for days after fighting dedemit.

Meanwhile, Sukma is busy handling the genie shipment from his father's business enemy. Throw the creature to hang on the banyan tree. Looks like the ghost cungkring was too bad to get down from there.

"You are, how dare you hurt Mr. Tell me the same! Who told you to?" gerutu Sukma interrogates.

The creature just screamed with its grunting voice. He tried to get down from the tree, until he fell with his head touching the ground. In a fit of annoyance Sukma grabbed her hair, then strangled her. The ghost of the cungkring thrashed, asking to be released.

"I won't let you go before I tell you who told you to. If you don't want to talk, I'll kill you" Sukma threatened furiously.

That cungkring-bodied creature can't talk. While trying to let go of Sukma's strangulation, he repeatedly mentioned the initials K. Sukma was so anxious and irritated, because this one ghost could not talk at all. He felt useless, he also strengthened the strangulation on the creature's neck until his body burned and became ashes.

Atikah who had just seen Sukma was angry in the middle of the grave, immediately approached him. He could not wait to hear the brother's explanation about the invisible creature he had dragged earlier. As for Sukma who realized the arrival of his brother, put on a disappointed look.

"Guilders are okay, right? What kind of creature did Dedek bring?" ask Atikah curiously.

"Dedek doesn't know what a creature is. The shape is absurd, the body is gungkring and tall. When we went to the room, he sat in the body of the Father while stirring the contents of the Father's chest," explained Sukma.

Atikah gasped at the explanation of her sister. "What?! Stir in my chest?!" said with wide eyes. "Continue, continue ... He said that Dedek wasn't about who told him?"

Sukma shook his head in a doldrums. "That thing can't talk, Tea. It's just like saying 'ka', 'ka'. Anyway, Dedek does not understand what it means. So Dedek, all of you."

Atikah thought for a moment, then looked at her sister again. "Maybe it's a clue, Deck. Could be, right, he called the initials of the person who wants to abuse the Father."

"Well, maybe if the same face Dedek was able to. His name is also genie."

"If only Wanara did not go home, maybe he could translate the words of the cungkring," said Sukma softly.

"Here we go, let us go home. I feel scared here for a long time. Tuh, look! Teteh's hair to the creeps like this," asked Atikah while showing the feathers on his hand bristling.

Sukma nodded slowly. "Yes, Tea. After all, there was a Kunkun Mbak who was following Teteh behind. He's still looking at Teteh, too."

Atikah trembled at the explanation of her sister. He held her hand tightly and said, "If so, get her out of here! Dude was scared."

"Silence, Tea. He will not come. There will be Dedek who takes care of Teteh."

Atikah still shuddered in horror. He and his brother walked quickly away from the grave. Every now and then, he stared at the cemetery area that was so quiet while tightly gripping Sukma's hand.

...****************...

Arini looked helpless in her bed. Every now and then both of his eyes looked around, then closed back. From the direction of the door, it appeared that Albi brought food for him. The young man sat next to Arini, putting a crackle of food on the nightstand.

Knowing someone entered the room, Arini opened her eyes. In a doldrums, he called out the name of the son of his nephew. Albi responded quickly, then held Arini's hand.

"Auntie needs what? Tell me the same," said Albi rubbed Arini's hand.

"albi ... The day I heard your conversation with your father. You said you met Mr. Risman's family in the lobby" Arini said in a limp voice.

"Oh, that. Yes, that day I met with Mr. Risman's family," explained Albi nodded.

"Why didn't you bring them here first? I would love to see them."

"Later if I meet again with one of Mr. Risman's families, I will bring him here. Aunty should now eat first, yes, let it heal quickly," said Albi took a packet of bread.

"What are you talking about, Albi? What kind of healing do you mean? I have been paralyzed for many years, it is impossible to recover as usual" said Arini, desperate.

"Auntie can't be like that. Now pray a lot with God. Who knows if there is a miracle that makes Aunty heal again like first," said Albi encouraged. "Nothing is impossible if God wills."

"Every second I pray, I never miss. But what proof? Nothing has changed at all."

Albi smiled, pinching a small portion of the bread in her hand and feeding Arini. "Maybe the time is not yet right, so his prayer has not been granted. God knows what we need and what we don't. So, auntie can't despair, huh."

Amidst their conversation, Farah came from the entrance hurriedly. He looked furious to see his son follow the care of the paralyzed woman. He threw out a piece of bread from Albi's hand and looked at Arini sharply.

"Well till when do you lie down, huh? You'd better die so you don't take someone else. Do you know why your children and husband are not taking care of you? That's because they only want you dead!" cerocos Farah pointed at Arini.

Feeling annoyed and embarrassed by his mother's attitude, Albi removed Farah's hand from Arini's presence. Of course Farah did not accept Albi's defense of her aunt. With a sharp look, the woman scolded the child without hesitation.

"Well, are you talking about these dying grandmothers? Want as hard as you and your father to give care to him, he'll die!" snapped Farah growled.

"Ma, Mama doesn't deserve to say that. Aunt Arini is Mama's Aunt. Mama should love him support to be cured, not even make Aunt Arini drop," said Albi no less upset.

Arini shed tears when she heard Farah's words. Maybe this is a reply that should be received after slandering Mr. Risman, he thought. He can only be patient and accept the situation, that no one from his family would be willing to accompany when difficult.